You've got to reach a hand of friendship across the aisle and across philosophies in this country.

My father used to have an expression. He'd say, 'Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about your dignity. It's about respect. It's about your place in your community.'

Our future cannot depend on the government alone. The ultimate solutions lie in the attitudes and the actions of the American people.

The devastating punch we took on September 11th still reverberates throughout American society.

No fundamental social change occurs merely because government acts. It's because civil society, the conscience of a country, begins to rise up and demand - demand - demand change.

Look folks, we know who built this country and we know who is going to rebuild it. It's you. Instead of vilifying you, we should be thanking you. We owe you.

We don't want two-tier people in America. Those who are legal but not citizens, and citizens.

When my first semester grades came out, my mom and dad told me I wouldn't be playing football.

There is no inherent power in the office of the vice presidency. Zero. None. It's all a reflection of your relationship with the president. I mean, Kennedy never let Johnson in the office.

Given a fair shot, given a fair chance, Americans have never, ever, ever, ever let their country down. Never. Never. Ordinary people like us. Who do extraordinary things.

I used to stutter really badly. Everybody thinks it's funny. And it's not funny. It's not.

We're going to be OK because of the American people. They have more grit, determination and courage than you can imagine.

Corruption is a cancer: a cancer that eats away at a citizen's faith in democracy, diminishes the instinct for innovation and creativity; already-tight national budgets, crowding out important national investments. It wastes the talent of entire generations. It scares away investments and jobs.

The Chinese have figured out that they have a giant environmental problem. Folks in Beijing, some days, literally can't breathe. Over a million Chinese die prematurely every year because of air pollution.

This is absolutely bizarre that we continue to subsidize highways beyond the gasoline tax, airlines, and we don't subsidize, we don't want to subsidize a national rail system that has environmental impact.

Failure at some point in your life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable.

My dad used to have an expression - 'It is the lucky person who gets up in the morning, puts both feet on the floor, knows what they are about to do, and thinks it still matters.'

My dad always said, 'Champ, the measure of a man is not how often he is knocked down, but how quickly he gets up.'